After an already outstanding season, including 13 wins, 10 of which came in WorldTour classed races, Peter Sagan has cemented his spot as the UCI WorldTour number one ranked rider. Having an almost unsurmountable lead going into the final WorldTour race of the season, the title was confirmed after Saturday’s Il Lombardia.
The accolade is a just reward for the hard work and determination that Sagan has put in from start to finish this season, one that started on 18th January at the Tour de San Luis and will end with the World Championships road race this month.
"Finishing a season at the top of the UCI WorldTour ranking is, obviously, a great honour and gratification for any rider,” explained Sagan. “It's the first time in my professional career that I attain this summit and I'm thrilled. It's the culmination of a strong and consistent performance throughout the year, the combination of personal effort and support from the team and its partners.
“Sadly, I reach this pinnacle in my career on the day Tinkoff took part in its last WorldTour race ever. We are all sorry to see this great team disappear but we understand the decision taken by its owner Oleg Tinkov. I would like to thank everybody in the team, and especially Oleg, for these two great seasons that brought me success, including some of the world's most coveted trophies and jerseys. It wouldn't have been possible without them."
Tinkoff also finished the season in second place overall in the UCI WorldTour team rankings, a classification the team led for much of the season. What’s more, Alberto Contador also finished sixth in the individual rankings after a strong and consistent season that will come to a close at the Abu Dhabi Tour.
Peter Sagan's 2016 WorldTour Victories
27/03: Gent - Wevelgem
03/04: Ronde van Vlaanderen
15/05: Tour de Suisse Stage 2
18/05: Tour de Suisse Stage 3
03/07: Tour de France Stage 2
13/07: Tour de France Stage 11
18/07: Tour de France Stage 16
09/09: Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
21/09: Eneco Tour Stage 3
22/09: Eneco Tour Stage 4
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